DNR Solve 2 Wolf Poaching Cases In One Day In U.P.

The Department of Natural Resources in Michigan's Upper Peninsula solved two separate wolf killings on the very same day.

According to MLive, a 58-year-old man and a 67-year old man both confessed to killing wolf in two separate incidents on Tuesday of this week.

The 58-year-old man was from Greenland Township where he poached a wolf this passed Saturday in Ontonagon county. The wolf had a collar on that was being monitored for study purposes, it sent out a mortality call. The call led the DNR to the scene on Gardener road.

County Officer, Zach Painter said, "We gathered some information at the scene, and we conducted suspect interviews the following day and during those discussions, the suspect admitted he shot the animal with a rifle, which we seized as part of the investigation."

The 67-year-old man from Menominee Township poached a wolf November 19th during firearm season for deer. This wolf was also collared for study. County Officer, Jeremy Sergey said, "I retrieved the collar later that day from a place along River Road in Lake Township. The collar was intact, covered in blood, but was not attached to a wolf."

Tuesday morning the man from Menominee simply turned himself in to authorities. The DNR did say the man had been a suspect in the original case from November.

Gray wolves in Michigan are protected under the Endangered Species Act since 1973. A wolf can only be legally killed if its a matter of human safety.

The penalties for illegally killing a wolf are up to 90 days in jail, a fine of $1000 and the cost of the prosecution of the case.